Hanoi, May 23 -- Amid the windswept fields of Tan Ky commune in the northern city of Hai Phong, the nickname "Hat - the inventor" has long become synonymous with ingenuity and resilience. Despite leaving school after grade seven and lacking any formal engineering training, farmer-inventor Pham Van Hat has made a mark in Vietnam's agricultural machinery sector.

He is best known as the creator of the made-in-Vietnam "Seed Sowing Robot," now exported to 15 countries, alongside dozens of practical inventions that have eased labour for thousands of farmers.

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Welcoming visitors to his workshop in oil-stained overalls, the sun-tanned inventor recalled how hardship pushed him toward innovation.

"People...